A Leader’s Secret Shortcut Hack for How to Give Feedback to Employees

Are your managers struggling to give negative feedback to employees? Do they avoid it altogether because, in their minds, it is more stressful and painful than listening to fingernails on a chalkboard for eight hours? They are not alone. Most managers struggle with feedback. According to Gallup, managers generally don’t know what to say - only 14.5% of managers are effective at giving feedback.

But it’s not their fault, though. Traditional feedback is fundamentally amiss. For the most part, feedback is used as a corrective measure and, nine times out of ten, is delivered in a negative way. This strategy decreases engagement, kills morale, and destroys performance.

Conventional feedback strategies are negative based, which, by the way, flies in the face of coaching and behavioral change methodology. Think about it. When’s the last time you or anyone else on the planet has gotten to first base by criticizing, irrespective of the environment? It doesn’t work in personal or professional settings.

Coaches deal with poor performance all the time. I have never seen an exceptionally talented and qualified coach increase a client’s performance using criticism or negative feedback. This approach is one-dimensional, totally ineffective, and counterintuitive to motivation and performance enhancement.

People don’t like criticism – period, end of story, full stop. On the other hand, they love to be asked for their opinions and input. The 2019 Boss Barometer Report, conducted by software developer Kimble Applications, found that 83% of American workers would like their boss to ask for their input or opinion more often. I’ll let you in on a little secret. There is a way to tap the power in that and at the same time deliver effective feedback.

After 23 years as a leader, and 9 more as a coach and behavioral change specialist, I developed a proprietary method of feedback called (RFDO) Reverse Feedback Directed Outcome. Therein lies the secret shortcut hack that your managers can use to increase engagement and drive performance through the roof. In the example below, I will use a traditional method of feedback and then compare it to the RFDO method.

John, one of the inside sales team members, is failing to hit his targets. While walking the floor, the manager overhears one of his conversations with a prospective customer. John loses the sale. The conventional method called, “The Wrecking Ball,” is applied most often in these situations. The manager says, “John, I caught your last sales conversation, and you’re doing it all wrong. You need to correct that immediately? Can you do that for me?” This decreases engagement, kills morale, and destroys performance.

Using the RFDO method of feedback, the conversation would unfold as such:

The manager says, “John, I overheard your last sales conversation. Great attempt on your part. I appreciate the effort. If you could hit the rewind button on that call, though, what would you change? John replies, “I’m not sure.” The manager asks, “What if you do X and Y? John replies, “Yes, that would work, and we could add Z to it!” The manager replies, “I like that John. Why don’t you write that strategy down and use it as a script? I’ll check back with you in two weeks.” John replies. “OK. I will!” The manager ends with, “I have faith in you John. I know you can be a top producer in the department.” John replies, “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

Note: The manager kept the conversation positive. He used the most effective tool in a coach’s utility belt – the question. He asked for John’s input, involved him in the process, and directed him to a positive outcome. Now, I have to ask, which method is going to motivate John and increase his performance? Hands down, it’s the RFDO method.

The RFDO method removes the stress and anxiety of delivering feedback for managers, and it’s four times as effective. If your managers were giving feedback like that, productivity and performance would skyrocket. 

But here’s the real kicker; what I shared with you is only the beginning. It merely scratches the surface of the possibility and potential of RFDO feedback.

Have your managers give RFDO a try! Yes, of course, there’s much more to consider when building high-performance teams. Nonetheless, this is a great start.

In the meantime, check out my short video on RFDO below

https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6742198714959478785/

To learn about RFDO Feedback in greater detail, click on the link and download a Free copy of my “Leader’s Guide to 21st Century Team Building Secrets.”

Regards,

David Roppo

Coach & Consultant

#feedback #managementdevlopment #management